Conrad Burns

Conrad Burns (25 January 1935 - 28 April 2016) was a US Senator from Montana (R)from 3 January 1989 to 3 January 2007 (succeeding John Melcher and preceding Jon Tester). He was one of two US Republican Party members that represented Montana in the US Senate after the passage of Seventeenth Amendment. He was also the longest-serving Republican Senator in state history.

Biography
Conrad Burns was born in Gallatin, Missouri. He received his high school diploma from Gallatin High School in 1952 and enrolled in the College of Agriculture at the University of Missouri shortly after. While in college, he was involved with the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and he left the school during his sophomore year. He enlisted in the US Marine Corps. He served in the role of a small-arms instructor in Japan and Korea. After his service, he worked for Trans World Airlines and Ozark Air Lines. In 1962, he went to Montana as a field representative for Hereford World. In 1968, he was a cattle auctioneer for the Billings Livestock Commission. Burns was the first manager of Northern International Livestock Exposition. He was also a farm reporter for KULR-TV. In 1975, he founded the Northern Agricultural Network. He served on the Yellowstone County Commission for two years. In 1988, he ran against John Melcher and won by labeling him as too liberal for Montana. In 1994, he won the US Senate election by a large margin. In 2000, he faced a difficult campaign because he promised he would only serve for two terms. In 2006, he was defeated by Jon Tester.